1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to desalination systems and, more particularly, to a modified multi-effect distillation thermal vapor compression (MED-TVC) desalination system having a plurality of heat rods.
2. Description of the Related Art
Multiple-effect distillation with thermal vapor compression (MED-TVC) is a process used for sea water desalination. Typically, the MED-TVC systems produce desalinated (distillate) water from seawater (salt water), through a multi-stage system which includes horizontal tube bundles at each stage. In each stage, feed water is heated and partially evaporated by the vapor condensing inside the tubes. Saline water evaporates in one stage, and the vapor flows into the tubes of a subsequent stage. Each stage reuses energy from a previous stage. However, the vapor velocity inside the evaporator tubes drops dramatically as it condenses along evaporator tubes. Also, the two phase pressure loss caused by vapor condensing inside the evaporator tubes is high, leading to considerable temperature loss and increase in evaporator heating surface area.
Thus, a multi-effects desalination system solving the aforementioned problems is desired.